


Third Time's A Charm

by Swashbuckler



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Banter, Canon Compliant, Carnival, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Flirting, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Kissing, Mischief, New Year's Evil, One-Sided Attraction, Poisoning, Romantic Friendship, Several Times Over, Surprise Kissing, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-07 10:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11621295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swashbuckler/pseuds/Swashbuckler
Summary: "I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you!""You'd be surprised how often those two seem to overlap with me..."The Trickster, try as he might, is not good with women.In his defence, it would help his track record if women were good to him.





	Third Time's A Charm

**Author's Note:**

> I know these aren't in the right order as James appears in the 'Catwoman' series after 'New Year's Evil' with Mindy but humour me for the sake of narrative fluidity?~ <3

The Trickster, try as he might, is not good with women. 

In his defence, it would help his track record if women were good to him.

* * *

Being kissed by Lisa should have been a dream come true (he’d certainly dreamt about it enough times, a truth he would never be sharing with Len or Roscoe should he make another grand return from the grave). She had thrown herself at him, and he’d been only too eager to shelve his confusion as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his. His hands had just been sneaking around her waist when she’d pulled away with a wink and flounced off. With a dopey smile, James’ gloved fingertips had touched his tingling lips and the tacky lipstick smudged across them as he watched Lisa drag Mark down by the hair into a passionate embrace.

“I wish she was always this friendly,” Mark had gasped, his hair in disarray, lipstick covered mouth hanging open when Lisa released him and moved on to greet Digger who had been waiting impatiently for his turn to get a greedy handful of the Golden Glider. 

“Uh huh,” James agreed dazedly. 

It was like a dream come true. 

Until the lovestruck tingling on his lips spread rapidly to burn his tongue and he doubled over gagging as Lisa’s poison took effect. Spitting up bile, James glanced up at Lisa as Mark and Digger joined him, hacking and coughing and retching beside him. 

“Oh, boys,” Lisa crooned, “did you not like me kissing you?” She gave the Trickster a sly wink. He just pushed his lower lip out at her into a scowling pout. 

“We knew you ‘ad a killer pair of legs, sheila,” Digger gasped out, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, “did yer ‘ave to ‘ave a killer everythin’ else?!” 

Lisa just blew them all a very deliberate kiss, linking her arm with her scowling goon as she pranced off.

* * *

Catwoman had been almost as good a con as him.

‘Almost’. Such a _sweet_ word. 

She had managed to get the upper hand, however, when he’d been trying to hack into Carlino’s files. Something in her demeanour had changed, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Her biting banter had turned to flattery, all warmly purred in his ear as she leant over his shoulder...

“Are you flirting with me?” he had blurted out. Her lips had curled into a bemused little smile next to his face and he could hear her words from earlier practically ringing in his ears.

_“Full motor control - your mother must be proud.”_

He shook off the surprise and grinned at her, wiggling his eyebrows before turning his attention back to the computer screen when-

“Maybe.” 

James blinked, fighting the reflex to snap his neck round and just stare at her. He tried to say something, only to flinch, spine stiffening as Catwoman stepped around him, heels clicking against the tiled floor and her clawed glove trailing a lazy pattern across his shoulders. He fought the urge to shiver as the metal point of her index finger curled around the side of his neck to tuck under his chin and tilt his head up to face her properly as she perched on the desk beside him. 

“What’s the matter, Trickster?” Words like honey he just wanted to drink up. “...Cat got your tongue?~”

The Trickster’s eyes had lingered on black-painted lips as he swallowed forcibly and gave her his best, most charming smile. “A boy can hope, can’t he?” 

“Mm, he can,” Catwoman agreed and James yelped as a knife-point heel dug high up into his thigh. “And he can start hoping he doesn’t lose anything else if this goes badly.” 

James flashed her a wicked smile. “Yes ma’am.” 

  
***  


“Your prize, madam,” the Trickster said, handing over the envelope he’d been guarding at arms length as he gave her a deep bow. Selina snatched it out of his hand without wasting a second. 

“Thank you,” she said. “I suppose I should give you yours…” she added as James stood up again, looking hopeful. Keeping the envelope well out of his reach behind her back, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, patting the other none-too-gently.

“See you soon?” James asked hopefully. 

“Not if I can help it,” simpered Catwoman, slicing open the envelope with a metal claw. 

“If you’re so sure~” James chimed, wiggling his fingers in a little wave before bolting from the alley as Catwoman yanked the documents out of the envelope. 

Of course, he’d left her with a blank fake of the files she had wanted and she’d rewarded him with a furious scream of “TRICKSTER!” that chased him out of Gotham.

And that was _so_ much better than a kiss.

* * *

The scorched, spiky grass of the park was pricking his back, but he didn’t care. His elbows were raw and scraping against the dry ground as he propped himself up, straining to keep kissing the girl sat over his stomach. 

He still didn’t know how he’d got here. Well, he did - he’d been manning the ring toss, telling the Chinese girl with huge glasses that she won whatever she could catch with a ring. He’d leant across the barrier with a grin he was still practicing and said - 

“If you’re lucky, you could even win me.” 

He’d given her a playful little wink, pushing off from the barrier to move out the way of the stall, and he watched as a hoop clattered onto the large table in the space between two prizes.

“Ah, missed - go again!” James encouraged with a cheer. The second hoop zipped past him, missing the table completely.

“Urgh, that was terrible,” the girl had muttered, lining up her third and final hoop.

“C’mon, last go!” James said cheerfully, waving her on, turning his back to her as he fought back a laugh. They had had far worse shots at this stall, but they were usually all kids, not girls his a-

Something tapped him on the back of the neck. James frowned, glancing over his shoulder, to see the girl stood at the stall with her arms folded, chin raised triumphantly, and a smug smile on her face.

“I’ll take my prize please.” 

James scoffed, giving her a patronising smile. “What prize? You missed the table twice and you haven’t even thrown the third!”

The girl’s smile didn’t waver. “Haven’t I?” 

“No, I would’ve seen-” James turned on his heel, and something swung loosely around his neck. Glancing down, James’ eyes went wide as saucers as he stared at the wooden hoop looped around his neck. 

_What._

_How._

_**What.** _

He gaped at the ring, then up at the girl, frowning. “You-” He pointed at the ring, raising an eyebrow. “You-?” He pointed at her, shock turning to pure glee. _“You-!”_

After that, they’d gone round every stall at the carnival; James had shown her how to shoot the win the best prize in tin can alley and the trick to beat the coconut shy and as the day was drawing to a close, he’d bowed low and helped her up onto the carousel like a true gentleman.

Okay, so he did know how he’d got there. He just didn’t know how it had actually _worked_.

* * *

“James? Are you with us?” 

James flinched out of his daydream, turning to look at the trio stood staring at him. “No, I thought I left with the Rogues?” he said with a gasp, patting his torso and face in surprise. Piper rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a tired smile. 

“We could use another set of hands helping clear my tech out of a thousand year old temple, just saying,” Piper hinted. “I’ve had enough of the snow and the cold - we get enough of that back home when Len gets mad that his team is losing at hockey.” 

“Urgh, fine, _mom_ ,” groaned James, sagging into an exaggerated slouch. “Do I have to do everything round here? Rig an alarm, beat the devil, clear up your tech? _Gah!_ ” 

“You're not worried about Neron, are you?” Billy asked seriously as he helped Piper wind up thick black cables. James snorted loudly, ruffling his hair.

“Puh-lease, I’ve beaten him twice now; I have a hundred-percent success rate - if anyone should be worried, it’s him!” James beamed at Mindy. “No, I was just thinking about your mother and I’s first kiss!”

“Ewwww!” laughed Billy. 

“‘Ewwww’ is correct, big guy,” Mindy smiled, kissing Billy on the forehead. “Your father is a much better kisser now than he used to be.” 

“Hey, what?!” James spluttered as Piper burst out laughing. “Are you saying I was a bad kisser?!”

“James, you weren’t a bad kisser. You were the _worst_ kisser.” 

James looked at Mindy in pure, betrayed horror as his best friend doubled over wheezing behind him.

“I wasn’t that bad?” James proposed hopefully, but he could remember all too well how that first kiss - and the many eager kisses that followed - had, at his own fault, too much tongue and had stormed past anything sensual to set up camp at wet and sloppy. Mindy just gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I mean, it was my first kiss,” James wheedled, trying to patch his dignity back together again. “You were my first kiss, Mindy! And it was-”

“Memorable,” Mindy finished for him. “But you’re a better kisser now than what you used to be,” she reassured him. 

“Mindy, I assure you, I have _no_ idea how that happened,” James said seriously.

“Practice?” Mindy suggested with a raised eyebrow. There was a derisive snort behind James, and the Pied Piper only just ducked in time to avoid the rubber chicken the Trickster had hurled at him - it landed on the stone floor of the temple with a sad wheeze. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’, shall I?” Mindy teased gently. “I suppose that explains why you looked so surprised when I kissed you earlier - more surprised than when you found out you had a _son_ , even.” 

James gave her a shrug. “You’re just the first and only woman to ever kiss me and not also want to kill me! That is a shock to me!” He pulled Mindy into a hug, smushing his cheek on top of her head. “So, hang on,” he asked suddenly, “if I was such a bad kisser, why did you stay dating me for as long as you did?” 

“James, you know the answer to that,” Mindy said, closing her eyes as she hugged him tightly. 

“Do I?”

“Yes, Mr-Clever-As-The-Devil,” she teased, prodding him in the ribs when he wiggled with pride. “Because you looked sexy with my glasses on!”

James blinked. Then there was a splutter and a wheeze as a surprised laugh bubbled up from within him. 

“Yes,” he said happily, “yes I did!”

* * *

_Mindy pulled away with a huff, cheeks glowing pink as she pushed her glasses back onto her face from where they’d been hanging off her ear._

_“You have got to stop doing that!” she laughed, slapping his arm. James grinned at her._

_“Stop doing what?” He made his smile as innocent as possible before whipping out his hand and pinching her glasses off her nose again. “That?”_

_“Hey!”_

_Mindy lunged for her glasses but James just leant back on one elbow, stretching his other arm as far back as he could to stop Mindy reaching them._

_“I don’t see what the problem is, Min!” James said cheerfully, giggling as she crawled over him, trying to swipe her glasses back. “It’s not like you need them on if you’re going to kiss me! I’m right here!”_

_“I’m- hey!” She was all but pressed against James, trying to push him down as she stretched to grab her frames but her fingertips could only reach as far as James’ wrist. “I’m long sighted! Which means I can see the popcorn cart from here but you’re out of focus!” Mindy grunted in frustration, squinting at James as she made another desperate bid to snatch her glasses from him. “It’s weird kissing a funny blur!”_

_James made a scandalised noise. He grabbed her around the middle with his free arm, and Mindy yelped as he rolled them over. She narrowed her eyes up at the young carnie who’d made himself comfortable knelt over her stomach to keep her pinned down as he pointed her folded glasses at her accusingly._

_“Are you saying I’m not sexy when I’m blurry?” he asked seriously._

_“Would you rather I said you looked better when I_ didn’t _have my glasses on?”_

_James tilted his head from side to side, pouting at her glasses in his hand. “Depends. If I did…” Neatly unfolding them, he slipped them onto his own face, pulling them down so they were perched on the edge of his nose and he could peer over the top of them at the girl in the grass, putting his hands on his hips. “Then I guess a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do!”_

* * *

James thumbed tears from his eyes, cheeks glowing as he smiled. “Oh, Min, I’ve missed you!”

Mindy stretched up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to James’ cheek that he leant into. “I’ve missed you too, Trickster.” James beamed.

“You know, you mentioned about that kiss being for ‘old time’s sake’,” James started, putting an arm around her shoulders, “but something was missing.” 

“Oh?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

Billy looked up just in time to catch the Trickster’s mischievous smile to Mindy right before the hand resting on her shoulder flicked up and knocked the arm of her glasses so they were dangling off one ear.

“Oh, you-!” 

Billy laughed as James bolted, Mindy hot on his heels as she chased the Trickster around the ancient temple.

_"TRICKSTER!"_

“I love you too, Mindy~!”

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! <3


End file.
